FCT : JUAC President Gives Reasons For Indefinite Strike

President of the Joint Union Action Congress (JUAC), Mrs. Rifkatu Iortyer, says unresolved welfare issues led to commencement of indefinite strike by aggrieved staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration , FCTA.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Mrs. Iortyer said the industrial action became inevitable following the persistent failure of management to address critical staff concerns.

According to her, “some of the concerns included non-remittance of pension and National Housing Funds deductions and non payment of overheads.”

She further said that “unlawful restriction and centralisation of salary preparation and payment, and non-payment of officers of the Abuja Environment Protection Board and Social Development Secretariat engaged to enforce laws and policies” as part of the grievances.

Mrs. Iortyer also decried “the absence of a financial threshold for Permanent Secretaries and Heads of SDAs, elongation of tenure for some retired directors and Permanent Secretaries, non-payment of outstanding wage award, unpaid promotion arrears, poor working conditions, staff intimidation and lack of training and retaining.”

On the 2024 promotion exercise, she said the union is not comfortable with the mass failure recorded in the 2024 promotion examination, and demanded a round table discussion over the matter.

Describing the situation as unbearable, she noted that “the issues were not new but have been festering for far too long, causing undue hardship and frustration to the very individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving the country.”

She declared that “the gates would remain locked until the issues were addressed,” adding, “although the management has called us for a meeting, we will not attend until we are sure some key persons will sit with us on the discussion table.”

The union had earlier in June 2025 shut the gates of the secretariat to draw the attention of the administration to the same unresolved issues.

Remi Johnson, Edited By Grace Namiji